12/29/2006, 11:15am, EST

Friday, December 29th

MS may take on iTV at CES in January

Microsoft is planning to use its aggressive showing at January's CES trade show in Las Vegas to introduce a home server that would function as a media hub for a home network. Sources speaking to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley allege that the Windows Home Server is expected to serve as a combination of a network-friendly PC with a customized version of Windows Vista that would ease the process of sharing media with computers, Microsoft's Xbox 360, and similar devices that can tap into the Redmond-based company's Media Center software. The hardware may also include media extenders or a special network router, according to Electronista. The source leaked no specifications, the announcement -- if valid -- is likely timed to compete directly with a formal announcement of Apple's iTV or other media-related products that could be released at the MacWorld Expo due to begin alongside CES.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: digital music/video

, 14

14 comments

Reader Reactions (Please use <i></i> for italic text)

subscribe to comments
for this article

Expand All

Global Settings

phillymjs

They're going to call it

12/29, 11:41am, EST

...mTV!

Oh, wait...

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Jun 2000

User is offline

jarod

HAHAHAHAHAH

12/29, 11:52am, EST

The OTHER innovative thing from MicroSHIT. Maybe the next ZOOOOOOOON

LOLOLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

Microgarbage: morons of society.

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Apr 2005

User is offline

Guest

FUD, FUD, glorious FUD!

12/29, 12:20pm, EST

M$ policy of FUD may well have a modicum of success in the corporate world, but how well it will work in the post iPod & TV/DVD/HiFi dominated home arena is another matter entirely.

Ulfhednar

MS . . . take on iTV??

12/29, 12:37pm, EST

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Hey, they can call it MSN Video and 12 months from now, when they ditch the Zune, they can make all the downloaded files completely incompatible with the Zune successor! History repeating itself!

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Mar 2006

User is offline

mgpalma

This is news?

12/29, 12:57pm, EST

Add wireless and a couple of connectors to their Media Center and they are there. Big deal. Apple's will be good for iTunes integration and the MS will be good for Win Media and DVR. Pick your poison, neither is truly great.

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Sep 2000

User is offline

testudo

Re: this is news

12/29, 1:23pm, EST

Isn't it more like:

"MS may release new product at some point that may compete with some new product Apple may release at some point. Stay tuned as more details come in!"

Next thing you know someone's going to be reporting that Apple might be working on some type of cell phone that may compete in the mobile phone market, or perhaps the smart phone market, or the over-featured phone market, or might provide their own phone service, or work with any phone service, or sign a deal to work with a specific provider.

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Aug 2001

User is offline

testudo

Re: spelling

12/29, 1:24pm, EST

Or people could just spend three seconds to proof read their writings rather than rely on some computer to purport that something is written correctly or not.

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Aug 2001

User is offline

testudo

settles nothing

12/29, 1:36pm, EST

This doesn't settle anything. Its like a Ken Lay returning the money he took to Enron. They still have to deal with the consequences of their actions, whatever that might be (could be a slap on the wrist, a verbal tongue-lashing, jail-time, break-up the company, sell off all assets and give it to the investors, etc, etc, etc).

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Aug 2001

User is offline

loudpedal

Cost

12/29, 1:41pm, EST

I think MS is missing a big point. They're planning a whole computer which will serve as a media hub. And how is it going to get its content to the TVs? They are still going to need either a lot of wire or some type of wireless link. I know that the Xbox 360 already has this functionality built in (which may be able to be used for one TV) but if you have other TVs, any sane person wouldn't buy an Xbox for each TV. Apple's plan makes a lot more sense. It sounds like something Uncle Fester (Ballmer) pulled out of his ass at the last minute to grab some headlines. It's vaporware at this point. At least Apple as presented a prototype, feature list and a plan.

Junior Member

Joined Oct 1999

User is offline

macs4all

Oh Boy, Oh Boy! DRM Fest!

12/29, 3:57pm, EST

Anyone who reads MacroSuck(tm)'s DRM strategy for Visturd(tm) will definitely NOT want ANYTHING to do with this thing.

Check it out in MacroSuck(tm)'s own words at:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/D/6/5D6EAF2B-7DDF-476B-93DC-7CF0072878E6/output_protect.doc

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined Aug 2003

User is offline

additional comments:..1..2..Next

Your Comments

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

Default Comment View
External Page Links
Comment Threading View